Electronic apparatus having a cover which synchronously defined as a wall of a modular jack disposed thereof

ABSTRACT

An electronic apparatus includes a base portion including a first cover, a second cover perpendicular to the first cover and a receiving cavity running through the first and second covers to respectively provide a locking slot in the first cover and an opening in the second cover. The first cover defines locking portions oppositely extending from opposite faces of the locking slot.

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/784,499 filed on May 21, 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus, and more particular to an electronic apparatus having a cover which is synchronously defined as a wall of a modular jack assembled thereof for miniaturization.

2. Description of the Related Art

U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,533 issued to Ma et al. on Oct. 15, 2002 discloses a modular jack including an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts retained in the housing and a shell enclosing the housing. The housing defines a top wall, a bottom wall opposite to the top wall, two sidewalls connecting with the top 0 and bottom walls, and a mating cavity defined by the four walls commonly. The plurality of contacts is retained in the top wall and each defines an elastic contacting arm projecting into the receiving cavity. The bottom wall provides locking portions thereof for latching with a mating connector. The modular jack is disposed at a side edge of an electronic apparatus such as a personal computer with the receiving cavity opened outwards for receiving the mating connector therein.

However, the four walls may increase the dimension of the modular jack and the electronic apparatus having the modular jack. Obviously, an electronic apparatus suitable for miniaturization and having an electrical connector featured in low-profile configuration thereof is highly desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic apparatus having a cover which is synchronously defined as a wall of a modular jack featured in low-profile configuration.

In order to achieve the object set forth, an electronic apparatus includes a base portion including a first cover, a second cover perpendicular to the first cover and a receiving cavity running through the first and second covers to respectively provide a locking slot in the first cover and an opening in the second cover. The first cover defines locking portions oppositely extending from opposite faces of the locking slot.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic apparatus having an electrical connector disposed therein and a mating connector mating with the electrical connector;

FIG. 2 is an amplificatory portion in the circle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the electrical connector separated from the electronic apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partly explode view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the electronic apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is an amplificatory portion in the circle shown in FIG. 5, showing a cover board remained at an opened position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail.

FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 discloses a first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electronic apparatus such as a personal computer in the first embodiment includes a base portion 1 and a display 2 rotatablely retained to the base portion 1. The base portion 1 includes a first cover 11, a bottom cover 12 opposite to the first cover 11, two second covers 13 connecting with the first and bottom covers 11, 12, a printed circuit board (PCB) which retains electronic components thereon and is disposed in a receiving space provided by the covers 11, 12, 13, and an electrical connector 3 disposed at a side edge of the base portion 1. The second cover 13 defines a sidewall 132 perpendicular to the first cover 11 and an arc-shaped connecting wall 102 connecting with the first cover 11 and the sidewall 132.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the base portion 1 defines a receiving cavity 101 disposed at a side edge thereof and opened sideward to run through the sidewall 132 and upwards to run through the first cover 11. A side opening 130 is provided in the sidewall 132 and a locking slot 110 is provided in the first cover 11. The opening 130 further extends upwards to run through the connecting wall 102 and provide a passageway 131 at the connecting wall 102. The passageway 131 has a smaller width as compared to that of the opening 130, and the connecting wall 102 defines a pair of protrusions 103 oppositely projecting into the passageway 131 at a top portion thereof. The first cover 11 defines a pair of locking portions 112 extending oppositely from two opposite face disposed in the locking slot 110 and each abutting against a corresponding protrusion 103 of the connecting wall 102.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the electrical connector 3 is mounted onto the PCB and includes an insulative housing 31, a plurality of contacts 4 retained in the housing and a shell 32 enclosing the housing. The housing 31 defines a first wall 3111, a second wall 3112 perpendicular to the first wall 3111, two sidewalls 312 connecting with the first and second sidewalls 3111, 3112. A receiving room 310 opened upwards and sideward is provided by the first wall 3111, the second wall 3112 and the sidewalls 312 commonly. The plurality of contacts 4 is retained in the first wall 3111 and each defines an elastic contacting portion 41 projecting into the receiving room 310, the contacting portions 41 extend to the locking slot 110 and are angled with the first wall 3111. The shell 32 defines a bottom piece 321 and a pair of side pieces 322 bending upwards from two edge of the bottom piece 321, the shell 32 encloses the housing 31 with the bottom piece enclosing the first wall 3111 and the side pieces 322 enclosing the sidewalls 3112.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the electrical connector 3 is mounted onto the PCB disposed in the base portion 1 and received in the receiving cavity 101 with the mating face 33 facing to the opening 130. The locking slot 110 and the locking portions 112 of the first cover 11 are disposed over the receiving room 310, and the locking slot 110 communicates with the receiving room 310 and the opening 130. A mating cavity 100 is provided by the first and second covers 11, 13 of the electronic apparatus and the first wall 3111 and the sidewalls 3112 of the electrical connector 3 commonly, the opening 130 is provided as a mating opening of the mating cavity 100. When a mating connector P is inserted into the mating cavity 100 from the opening 130 to mate with the electrical connector 3, the latching arm P1 runs through the passageway 131 and into the latching slot 110, and the latching portions 112 may interconnect to the latching faces P2 of the latching arms P1 to retain the mating connector P in the mating cavity 100 securely. The protrusions 103 can block the locking portions 112 to reinforce the rigidity of the locking portions 112. The first cover 11 of the electronic apparatus having latching slot 110 and the latching portions 112 are jointly defined as a wall of the electrical connector 3, so that a wall opposite to the first wall 3111 of the electrical connector 3 for latching with a mating connector as disclosed in a conventional modular jack is omitted, which can reduce the height and cost of the electrical connector 3. The first cover 11 of the electronic apparatus is synchronously defined as a wall of the electrical connector 3, which benefits the miniaturization of the electronic apparatus.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 disclose a second embodiment of the present invention. The electrical connector in this embodiment has similar configuration as that in the first embodiment and is received in a receiving cavity 120 disposed at a side edge of the base portion 1. The first cover 11 defines an L-shaped cover board 5 rotatablely retained in the receiving cavity 120. The cover board 5 defines a flat body portion 50, a pair of blocking portions 51 extending perpendicularly to the body portion 50 from two sides of the body portion 50 and a passageway 52 disposed between the two blocking portions 51. A mating cavity 100 is provided by the cover board 5, the first wall 3111 and the sidewalls 3112 commonly when the cover board 5 rotated to remain at an opened position, and the opening 130 is defined as a mating opening of the mating cavity 100. The blocking portions 51 can lock with a mating connector to retain the mating connector in the mating cavity 100 steadily. The cover board 5 of the first cover 11 is also provided as a wall of the electrical connector 3 for latching with a mating connector, which can reduce the height of the electrical connector 3. The first cover 11 of the electronic apparatus is synchronously defined as a wall of the electrical connector 3, which also benefits the miniaturization of the electronic apparatus.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A low profile modular jack for use with a corresponding plug equipped with a deflectable latch thereof, comprising: an insulative housing defining a mating surface and a mating cavity neighboring the mating surface for receiving said plug, the insulative housing having a bottom wall facing the mating cavity and defined a plurality of terminal grooves thereon; a plurality of contacts retained in the terminal grooves, each of said contacts including a contacting section obliquely and backwardly extending from a position adjacent to a front edge of said mating cavity, and a soldering section straightly and upwardly extending from a position adjacent to a rear edge of said mating cavity; wherein said lower profile modular jack is not independently equipped with any locking portions for latchable engagement with the plug but adapted for inserting into a cover on a base portion of an electronic device, the cover having a locking slot therein for commonly retaining the plug in said mating space during mating with the plug; wherein a metallic shell is provided to attach on the bottom wall, said soldering sections of the contacts define a mounting surface above said metallic shell; and wherein said metallic shell surrounds side walls of the insulative housing and forms a plurality of mounting legs hanging at opposite sides of the mating cavity.
 2. The low profile modular jack as described in claim 1, wherein the mating cavity extends rearwardly along a mating direction and terminates at a rear wall which extends upwardly from the bottom wall.
 3. The low profile modular jack as described in claim 2, wherein a plurality of spaced passageways are defined on the rear wall and extend along a vertical direction perpendicular to the mating direction for receiving distal end of the contacting sections.
 4. The low profile modular jack as described in claim 2, wherein the contacting sections of the contacts extend toward the rear wall, while the soldering sections of the contacts are located behind the rear wall.
 5. The low profile modular jack as described in claim 2, wherein height of the rear wall is lower than that of the mating cavity.
 6. An open-faced modular jack adapted for inserting into a separately formed cover on a base portion of an electronic device, the cover having a locking section therein for commonly retaining a mating plug in a mating space defined by the modular jack and the cover during mating with the plug, comprising: an insulative housing having a bottom wall and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall so as to define a receiving cavity without a ceiling thereof, a plurality of terminal grooves being defined on the bottom wall and extending along a mating direction; a plurality of contacts retained in the terminal grooves, each of said contacts including a contacting section obliquely and backwardly extending from a position adjacent to a front edge of said receiving cavity, and a soldering section extending upwardly from the bottom wall and projecting toward an open side of the receiving cavity so as to reduce a height of the modular jack when the modular jack is mounted onto a printed circuit board; wherein the receiving cavity is only part of the mating space; wherein a rear end of the bottom wall does not form part of the receiving cavity, but acts a positioning section for positioning the soldering sections; wherein a metallic shell is provided to attach on the bottom wall and surround sides of the insulative housing; and wherein the cover is rotatably assembled on the modular jack.
 7. The open-faced modular jack as described in claim 6, wherein a pair of blocks are formed at opposite sides of said positioning section, between which said soldering sections are arranged.
 8. The open-faced modular jack as described in claim 6, wherein height of the metallic shell is lower than that of the pair of side walls.
 9. The open-faced modular jack as described in claim 6, wherein a rear wall is provided to connect with the pair of side walls, said contacting sections and soldering sections are located at opposite sides of the rear wall.
 10. The open-faced modular jack as described in claim 9, wherein a plurality of limiting channels are defined on the rear wall for receiving tips of said contacting sections.
 11. An open faced modular jack assembly comprising: a case of a computer defining an opening in an upper half of a side wall of a base portion and extending through a top wall in a vertical direction around a corresponding corner; a module jack disposed in the case and intimately located behind the opening, said module jack defining an insulative housing in a stationary manner with a mating port communicating with an exterior through the opening in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, a plurality of terminals associated with the housing with resilient contacting sections exposed in the mating port; and a cover assembled around the opening and moveable relative up and down to the housing to cover the opening when no plug is received in the mating port under condition that a side plate of the cover is located in front of the housing in the horizontal direction, while to expose the mating port for allowing the plug to be inserted into the mating port in the horizontal direction; wherein only the cover is equipped with a locking structure for locking the plug to the mating port while the housing is not; and wherein a metallic shell attaches and encloses on a bottom wall and one side of the housing opposite to the mating port in the vertical direction.
 12. The open faced module jack assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the housing defines a step structure for being seated upon a printed circuit board.
 13. The open faces module jack assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein said step structure faces upward in the vertical direction and contacting tails of the corresponding contacts extend upwardly in the vertical direction. 